Gun carriage or mount.



Patented Mar. 25, I902. J. F. MEIGS 8|. R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE 0R MOUNT.

(Application filed Jan. 30 1900.)

4 Sheets-"Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 696,064. Patentgd Mar. 25, I902.

' .1. F. MEIGS & n. P. STU-UT.

GUN CARRIAGE 0R MOUNT.

(Applicatiqn filed Jan. 30, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m annals PUERS ca. FHUTO-LIYHO., WASHINUYON. n. r;

No. 696,064. Patented Mar. 25, 1902.

J. F. MEIGS &. R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE OR MOUNT.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1900.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

ma "cams PETERS co" FNOYO-LITHO.. wAsuihsmm n. c.

No. 696,064. Patented Mar. 25, I902.

' .1. F. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE OBMOUNT.

(Application filed Jan. 30, 1900.) 0 Model.) 4 Sheets$heet 4.

THE Norm: PETERS m. ruo'mufnou wAsnmc-romp c.

UNITED [STATES PATENT Enron.

JOHN F. MEIGS AND ROBERT P. STOUT, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO. THE BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA. I

GUN CARRIAGE'OR MOUNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,064, dated March 25, 1902.

Application filed January 30, 1900. Serial No. 3,330- (No model.)

Mounts; and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a top plan view of a gun-carriage embodying our invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof with the gun in its raised position; Fig. 3, a like view with thegun eleelevation with the parts in position as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa.view,'partly in elevation and partly in section, of the recoil controlling and adjusting mechanism; Fig. 6, (a detail view in cross-section of the recoil regulating or controlling device; Fig. 7, a detail view, in longitudinal section, of the cushion device to arrest the gun after counter-recoil.

parts in each of thefigures.

The object of .our invention isto provide a mount or carriage for guns that will enable the adaptation of the gun for firing to vary-' ing conditions, so that, for'example, it may be used as arapid fire gun, having such construction as will reduce to a minimum liability to derangement and will facilitate the working of the gun; and to these ends said invention consists in a gun mount or carriage having the construction substantially as hereinafter specified. 1

In the carrying of our invention into practice there is employed a circular bed or base that comprises a plate A and a vertical annular flange a at the rim thereof, upon which is mounted a turn-table B, that supports the gun and its appurtenant mechanism and by the turning of which the gun may be trained. Between the top of the flange a and the turntable B are placed balls 0 and O, which may directly engage the table, but preferably they engage a circular plate or ring D in an annular groove-h in the under side of said table, between which plate and the top of the groove b is a circular series of springs E and E of vated for firing at a high angle; Fig. 4, an end v V or well. Letters of like 'name andkindrefer to like sufficient strength to hold the table B from contact with the top of the flange a, except under the pressure of recoil, when they yield until table and flange abut. Crushing of the balls is thus avoided. At the periphery or rimof the turn-table is a downwardly-projec'ting flange b, that hooks under an annular shoulder a on the flange a, and which consists of a series of removable sections secured by bolts to the turntable. By the removal of the sections or clips access to the balls and other parts may be readily had. The lower portion of the flange b is submerged in a suitable liquid in a gutter or well F on the exterior of and encircling the flange a.. Access of dust or sand to the balls is completely prevented, as the interior of the base is closed at the bottom and top and the ar ran gement of the flange and gutter afford protection from the outside. Preferably a flap G, attached to the flange 1), covers the space between the same and the top of the gutter It will be seen that the structure combines the advantages of ready accessibility to the balls and adjacent parts and protection from dust and sand. If desired, a

similar arrangement of flange and gutter may be employed inside of the flange a.

To sustain the horizontal thrust resulting from recoil and keep it from falling on the flange b, the turn-table B has a downward extension b which under recoil brings up againstthe interior of the flange a. I

On the upper side of the turn-table B, in advance of its axial center, are two pairs of standards H and H,which support each a shaft 1, upon which is mounted one of the pair of arms or levers K and K, by and between which the gun L is supported and by the swinging of which the gun is moved to and from firing position by the energy developed from recoil. Each of said arms or levers has a segment or arc-shaped portion M, to the periphery of which is attached one end of a chain N, the other end of which is secured to a cross-head O, that is connected with the rods of the recoil and counter-recoil mechanisms. One of said rods is a piston-rod P, having a piston Q in a cylinder it upon the turntable B, and the others are rods S and S,hav-

ing each a head 8, that is engaged by one end of a coiled spring T, that encircles the rod and Whose other end bears against a fixed abutment U on the turn-table. There are preferably four rods and springs,and they are grouped around the cylinder R and inclosed in a suitable housing V. Each rodS is tubular or hollow, and within it is a guide or support consisting of a tube W, fixed to one end of the housing V, that restrains any vibratory tendency of the spring.

Recoil is controlled by the passage of liquid from one side of the piston Q to another and we vary it to vary the distance traveled by the gun, according to the use to be made of the latter. Thus if the gun is to disappear or travel between firing position above the parapet and loading position down behind the latter the mechanism that controls the passage of fluid is adjusted to permit the amount of movement of the gun required for this purpose. It' the gun is not to disappear, but is to be used for rapid fire, such mechanism is adjusted to restrict the travel of the gun under recoil to the shortest distance practicable,

and if the gun is to be fired at such a high angle that it is necessary, as shown in Fig. 3, to'swing the levers K and K to place the trunnion hearings in rear of a vertical plane throughche lever-shafts I and I to obviate the endwise pressure to which they would be otherwise subjected said mechanism is adjusted to limit the travel of the gun to a distance intermediate the other two. Any desiredform of mechanism may be employed for regulating or controlling the passage of fluid; but we prefer that shown, which consists of a longitudinally-perforated rod or tube X, passing through the piston Q and into a chamber in the piston-rod and having several sets of radial passages or perforations w and 00, any one of which sets by the adjustment of the tube may register with a radial slit or passage 19 in the wall of the pistonrod, and thus place the interior of the tube X in communication with the cylinder R and through said tube and radial openings w and w therein the cylinderspaces on opposite sides of the piston in communication. As the piston-rod and piston move longitudinally relative to the tube X it will be seen that communication between the cylinder on one side of the piston and the interior of the tube will be gradually and then finally cut off, and as there is a set of perforations for each of the various distances which it is desired to have the gun move under recoil and as thesets are of varying lengthsit is apparcut that the flow of liquid will be stopped and recoil of the gun arrested at a point determined by the respective set of perforations registering with the slit or passage through the piston-rod wall. A hand-lever Y on the turntable Bis connected with the tube X to enable it to be adjusted at will, and such adjustment in the case of two sets of perforator-recoil ensues as soon as recoil is completed; p but when it is used as a disappearing gunit is locked in its depressed position for loading, such locking being done by means of ratchetteeth m on the segments of the levers K and K and a pawl Z for each set of teeth, pivoted to the turn-table B and connected with a treadle A for effecting the disengagement of pawls and ratchets when the gun is to be returned to firing position.

As the gun in moving to firing position can pass to a point which carries the trunnion-bearin gs of the levers K and Kforward of the vertical plane through the axis of the lever-shafts it will be evident that, because of the flexiblechain connection between said levers and the recoil mechanism, the gun will-fall forward as soon as its trunnion-axis passes forward of said vertical plane. To arrest such forward fall, there is provided, preferably, for cooperation with each lever a cushion-stop or buifer that comprises a hollow plunger or cylinderB, movable longitudinally in a guide or casing on the turn-table B, a piston O therein, and a coiled spring D, that presses the cylinder outward from said casing in the path of a radial lug or arm m on the leversegment M. The piston C is on a fixed piston-rod E, and through the piston are several passages controlled by a perforated valve F. The cylinder contains a suitable fluid which when the cylinder is projected outward by the spring is between its outer end and the piston O and by the inward movement of the cylinder under the blow of the lug m IIO is passed to the opposite side of the piston,

controlling the inward movement of the cylinder. On the lifting of the lug from the cylinder the latter isquickly projected outward by the action of the spring, the fluidon the innerside of the piston being promptly passed to the outer side thereof by the ample opening aiforded on the raising 6f the valve F, so that the bufier is again in readiness to act. Other means for controllingthc flow of liquid can of course be substituted for thatdescribed.

For the elevation or depression of the gun there is, as usual, connected to the latter arms or links G, that are pivotally connected to slides H and H, placed in arc-shaped guides on the turn-table B, to which slides is attached a nut I upon a screw K. On the screw is a bevel-pinion L,with which meshes a like pinion M on a horizontal shaft N, which latter,

, hand-Wheel U, by which it may be revolved.

Also meshing with the bevel-gear Q is a gear V upon a shaft' W, having a hand-wheel X accessible to onestanding on the turn-table B. There are thus two stations from which the gun-elevating mechanism may be operated-one on the-turn-table and the other the elevated platform. Training of the gun may also be done from either of said stations. For

this purpose a vertical shaft Y is employed that has a hand-wheel Z on its upper end, accessible from the platform 8, and by means of bevel-pinions A and B is geared to a shaft 0 havinga hand-wheel D that is accessible from the turn-table. Preferably the shaft Y passes through the shaftR, and the shaft 0 passes through the shaft W, so that the two hand-wheels at the respective stations are concentric. On its lower end the shaft Y carries a bevel-wheel E that mesheswith a like wheel F on a horizontal shaft G carried in hearings on the turn-table B, and also on said shaft Gr isa bevel-wheel H that meshes witha like wheel 1 on the same shaft with a gear K that meshes with an internal annular rack a on the interior of the baseflange a. The gear K being carried by the turn-table it is evident that by its revolution movement of the turn-table will result. It

is proper to state at this point thatthe hori radius as that of the teeth, so that there willbe extended contact or hearing.

The platform S is extended to each side of the gun, an opening being left for the passage of the gun when it is moved by recoil below the platform. When the gun does not move so far, but is restricted to movement above the platform, as in rapid fire, said opening is covered to provide a standing-place by a metal plate L which will bend and be dis lodged by the gun without damage to the platform should said plate be left'in place when the recoil mechanism is adjusted to permit movement of the gun to a position below the platform. The platform is preferably supportedso that it may be lowered into the pit behind the parapet.

It is to be understood that it is not necessary to the practice of our invention in its broadest scope that the details of construction shown and described be employed, as it is possible in some cases either to omit or vary them or to use different constructions.

The mechanism for adjusting the recoil-' but forms the subject of a divisional application.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is- Y 1. In agun-earriage, the combination of a turn-table, its bearings, and a liquid-form guard for the latter, scribed.

2. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a turn-table, its bearings, and a liquid-holding device around the latter, substantially as de scribed.

3. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a turn-table, its bearings, a liquid-holding gutter or well adjacent the latter, and a flange projecting from the turn-table into said gutter or well, substantially as described.

4. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a base having a ring-form flange, a turn-table, rolling supports between the latter and the top of the flange, a liquid-holding gutter or well on said flange, and a flange projecting from the turn-table into said gutter or well, substantially as described.

5. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a base, a turn-table, rolling supports between the latter and the base, in a recess in the turntable, a spring-pressed bearing-plate for said supports, in said recess, and a removable flange forming one side of said recess, substantially as described.

6. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a turn-table, a base having a circular bearing for the turn-table, a flange projecting from the turn-table, outside of the base, and an extension of the turn-tablewithin and adjacent to the base adapted to engage the latter to prevent the thrust from recoil falling on said flange, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7.- In a gun-carriage, the combination of a turn-table, mechanism for turning the same, gun-elevatin g mechanism, and two sets of operating devices for said mechanisms, com prising each concentric shafts, and an operating device for each shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a turn-table, mechanism for turning the same, gun-elevating mechanism, two sets of operating devices for said mechanisms, comprising each concentric shafts, and operating devices for the shafts, the operating devices for one set of shafts being higher than those for the other set, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A gun-carriageohaving a movably-supported gun, and provided with a platform adapted to yield before the gun, substantially as described.

10. A gun-carriage having a movable gunsupport and provided with a platform with a section adapted to yield before the gun without injury to the remainder of the platform,

substantially asv described.

11. In a gun-carriage, the combination of a substantially as de- IIO gun-supporting lever having a segment- In testimony that we claim the foregoing 1o shaped portion, a recoil mechanism, a flexiwe have hereunto set our hands this 13th day ble OODHGCiiiOIlbGtWGGil suclilsegment-shaped of January, A. D. 1900. portion and the reooi mec anism, teeth on 5 said segment-shaped portion, a pawl to engage said teeth, a projection from said segment-shaped portion and a stop device in the Witnesses:

path of said projection, substantially as and EDWARD J. MALLOY, for the purpose described. EDWIN A. MILLER. 

